Improved steering apparatus



. UNITED STATES FATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT H. NORTH, OFNAUBUC, CONNECTICUT.

IMPRovED STEERING APPARATUS.

Speciiication forming part of Letters Patent No. 48,087, dated June 6,1865.

To @ZZ whom, it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, ALBERT H. NORTH, of Naubuc, county of Hartford, andState of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Improvement inSteering Apparatus; and I do hereby declare that the following is a fulland exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

The nature of the invention consists in so constructing the mechanismthat in turning the rudder either to the. right or left from-a straightline, with the keel to an angle of forty-five degrees, (more or less,)the power is gradually increased or obtained, so that the labor,requiring` (at times) the strength and close application of i'our men,can (with this device) be performed easily by one man.

It will be obvious that this device may be changed in form, proportion,and arrangement without changing its mode or principle of operation, andthat it may be placed either below or above deck, and be operated by ahand-wheel, located either at the bow or stern, by providing a post, O,shaft F, and drum P, with the ordinary chain or cord, It, connection.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I willproceed to describe its construction and operation.

Figure l is aside elevation, showing the entire working mechanism. Fig.2 is a top View of the graduating-wheels.

A represents the deck, B the rudder, which should be secured below-deckin the usual or proper manner.

C is an eccentric-lever segment or graduating-wheel, ring arms oropenings to receive, the friction-rolls d, to support the weight of therudder, secured firmly to said segment (the segment C) by means of theshaft D.

E is an eccentric cam or graduating-wheel, secured onto the uprightshaft F (shown by dotted lines) in the frame-work G. The longestextremity of the wheel E and the shortest extremity of the wheel C areplaced so as to be in line with their shafts, while the rudder is inline with the keel or is midships, so that whether the wheel E be turnedeither tothe right or left it will gradually gain power over the wheelor segment C by means of the cog teeth or chains f.

H is a bevel-gear secured upon the upper end of the shaft F.

F F are horizontal shafts, which ltake their bearings in the frame-workG. The lower one,

F', has a bevel-gear, I, on one end, which.

works into the gear H; and a gear, J, on the other end, F, has a gear,K, and hand-wheel L secured thereto, and works in bearings 1n theframe-work, and the gear K works into the gear J.

The shaft F is represented as being lengthcned out and having a drum, P,and chain or cord R wound around it for the purpose of receiving actionfrom a hand-wheel located at the opposite end of the ship or boat, much1n the usual way.

N is a latch titted to an aperture in the upper end of the frame-work G,which drops into or between the teeth of the wheel K, when desirable,for the purpose of locking the same when the person in charge of thewheel L is desirous of leaving his post.

Now, it will be seen that the hand-wheel gear K, being smaller and ofless number of teeth than the gear J, (into which. it meshes,) exertsquite an increase of power over the wheel or gear J, and the bevel-wheelI also exerts a gaining power over or upon the wheel II. Thus thecontrolling power` is exerted through thel hand-wheel and gears K J andI H to the graduating-wheels C E much in the usualway and at all pointsalike; but from thence through the wheels C E the power is graduallyincreased in proportionto the increase of the resistance, and the handupon the hand-wheel will be perfectly sensitive to the action of therudder or water upon the rudder. improvement) can easily perform theduties of four men with the ordinary devices or apparatus.

I believe I ,have thus shown the nature, construction, and operation ofmy improvement, so as to enable others skilled in the art to make anduse the same.

I claim- The employment of the cam or eccentric wheels C E, operated byproper irechanism, substantially as and for the purpose described.

ALBERT II. NORTH.

Witnesses:

W. W. LYMAN, JEREMY W. Buss.

One person at the wheel (with this'

